XIA
XIA LLC designs and manufactures advanced digital pulse processors, networked data acquisition systems, and specialty instruments for radiation detection, X-ray and gamma-ray spectroscopy, and nuclear physics, serving government labs, universities, semiconductor manufacturers, and industrial researchers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersHayward, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What XIA does
XIA LLC is a privately-held U.S. small business headquartered in Oakland, California that designs and manufactures advanced digital pulse processors and data acquisition (DAQ) systems for radiation detection, X-ray and gamma-ray spectroscopy, and nuclear physics applications. The company's active product portfolio spans compact embedded cards (microDXP), networked and rack-mounted multi-channel digitizers (Pixie Link, Pixie-16), high-throughput digital signal processors (FalconX with patented SITORO®), specialty instruments (UltraLo-1800 for ultra-low-background alpha counting, DP-03 differential pump), and supporting software including the Handel API, Pixie SDK, and XDAQS library. Core technology is built on FPGA-based deterministic digital signal processing (Filter, Peak detection, Pileup Inspection), the patented SITORO® algorithm for high count-rate pulse handling, and IEEE 1588 White Rabbit precision time synchronization across distributed detector arrays. Several legacy products (Pixie-Net, Pixie-Net XL, Mercury, MPX-32D, Saturn, xMap) have been formally discontinued, indicating active product-line rationalization.
The company operates a direct enterprise field-sales model with quote-based pricing, supplemented by an international distributor network covering China (Beijing Wahenyida), India (ADVANCETECH), Europe (Omega-Physics, France), and Japan (Niki Glass). Revenue is generated primarily from hardware sales, with secondary streams from software/SDK licensing (Handel, Pixie SDK) and paid technical support services under multi-year contracts with one-year warranty coverage. Customer segments are research-led and include academic and government nuclear physics laboratories (e.g., Peking University, IceCube Neutrino Observatory, global nuclear physics labs), semiconductor manufacturers using ultra-low-alpha quality control, and industrial/research spectroscopy users. Notable institutional engagements include the supply of digital signal processing electronics for NASA/JPL's PIXL instrument aboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, and a co-development partnership with Blueshift Optics for next-generation neutron detection modules targeting fusion energy and contraband detection. Alpha Sciences Inc., acquired in October 2018, operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary extending the company's reach in semiconductor alpha counting. XIA carries no disclosed outside investors, offers employee equity and profit-sharing programs, and is consistent in profile with a closely-held specialty instrumentation company.
XIA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- XIA
- Legal name
- XIA LLC
- Website
- https://xia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- XIA LLC designs and manufactures advanced digital pulse processors, networked data acquisition systems, and specialty instruments for radiation detection, X-ray and gamma-ray spectroscopy, and nuclear physics, serving government labs, universities, semiconductor manufacturers, and industrial researchers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where XIA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hayward
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
XIA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Data Acquisition Hardware Sales: XIA generates primary revenue from selling specialized data acquisition hardware including digital pulse processors, spectrometers, and nuclear instrumentation. Products include Pixie-16, FalconX, microDXP, UltraLo-1800, Pixie Link, and DP-03. Hardware sales are quote-based with custom configurations for enterprise customers.
- Software and SDK Licensing: Revenue from software products including Handel API and Pixie SDK, which provide high-level interfaces for controlling XIA hardware. Software is available for Windows and Linux platforms, with different licensing for various products and versions.
- Technical Support Services: XIA provides technical support services for hardware and software, with warranty coverage for one year from shipment. Support includes 24x7 service request submission during warranty period with 2 business day response time targets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise pricing - Products are priced based on configuration, channel count, and specifications |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
XIA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
XIA designs and manufactures advanced digital pulse processors, data acquisition systems, and radiation detection instruments used in X-ray and gamma-ray spectroscopy, nuclear physics experiments, and semiconductor quality control. Their portfolio includes FPGA-based digitizers (Pixie-16, FalconX, microDXP, Pixie Link), alpha particle counters (UltraLo-1800), and differential pumps (DP-03), sold with proprietary software SDKs (Handel, Pixie SDK) to research laboratories, government agencies, and industrial customers worldwide.
Product overview
XIA manufactures advanced digital data acquisition hardware and instruments for scientific research and industrial applications. The product portfolio centers on digital pulse processors and radiation detection systems, including current production models (microDXP, Pixie Link, FalconX, Pixie-16, UltraLo-1800, DP-03) and discontinued legacy products (Pixie-Net, Pixie-Net XL, Mercury, MPX-32D, Saturn, xMap). Key applications span industrial and research spectroscopy, nuclear data acquisition, and semiconductor alpha particle quality control. XIA's technology is notably deployed on NASA's Mars Perseverance rover PIXL instrument. The company provides supporting software including Handel API (for multiple legacy processors), Pixie SDK (for Pixie-16), and ProSpect GUI applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- microDXP A complete, low-power compact digital spectroscopy card designed for handheld, benchtop, and embedded applications. Replaces shaping amplifier, pileup inspector, and MCA functions for portable radiation detection systems.
- Pixie Link A networked digitizer providing reliable, real-time data acquisition for high-throughput research and commercial applications with 8-16 channels at 250 MSPS and 14-bit resolution. Targets scaling academic discovery and commercial systems.
- DP-03 A differential pump providing a cost-effective, windowless, direct, line-of-sight transition between ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and high vacuum (HV) regions for beamline and vacuum-system applications. Features XIA-patented Line of Sight Pumping technology.
- FalconX A radically new digital signal processor combining a cutting-edge hardware platform with patented SITORO® signal processing technology for high-throughput X-ray and gamma-ray spectroscopy. Plug-and-play design with 1-8 channels (expandable rack option), <180 eV FWHM at 2 Mcps OCR, and <30ns pulse pair resolution.
- Pixie-16
Companies that use XIA
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
XIA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
XIA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and regional.
- Alpha Sciences Inc. (ASI)coreXIA acquired Alpha Sciences Inc., manufacturer of gas flow proportional alpha particle counters. XIA continues providing ASI customers with ongoing support, maintenance services, sales, and expertise in ultra-low level alpha particle counting techniques including sample handling, counting statistics, and advanced instrumentation.
- NASA/JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)coreXIA contributes digital signal processing technology to NASA's PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) Microfocus XRF instrument for the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission. PIXL uses micro-focused x-ray fluorescence to provide geochemical data for the search for signs of ancient life on Mars.
- Blueshift Optics, Inc.strategicXIA and Blueshift Optics collaborate to offer early access to prototype neutron detection modules for research physicists and engineers. Blueshift provides scintillators with substantive materials innovations at reduced cost, while XIA provides precision digitizers for pulse shape discrimination. Jointly developed modules target fusion energy diagnostics and contraband detection.
- Beijing Wahenyida Science & Technology Development Co., LtdregionalInternational sales distributor for XIA products in China. Provides local sales, support, and customer engagement for Chinese customers.
- ADVANCETECH Controls Pvt. Ltd.regionalInternational sales distributor for XIA products in India. Contact: Vaishali Singh provides local sales and support for Indian customers.
- Omega-PhysicsregionalInternational sales distributor for XIA products in Europe. Provides local sales and support for European customers.
- Niki Glass Co., LtdregionalInternational sales distributor for XIA products in Japan. Contact: [email protected] provides local sales and support for Japanese customers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
XIA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Struck Innovative Systeme (SIS): German manufacturer of VME/VPX digitizers and digital pulse processors (e.g., DWC, VULCAN) for nuclear physics experiments. Direct competitor in the same channel-count, coincidence-detection application space as XIA's Pixie-16.
- AMPTEK Inc. US-based maker of compact X-ray and gamma-ray detector electronics (PX5, DP5, X-123) including silicon drift detectors and digital pulse processors. Comparable to microDXP as a compact, low-power digital spectroscopy card serving handheld and embedded applications.
- CAEN S.p.A. Italian maker of digital pulse processing electronics, waveform digitizers, and front-end boards for nuclear and particle physics. Directly competes with Pixie-16 and FalconX in the same research customer base with overlapping FPGA-based architectures.
- Mesytec GmbH: German manufacturer of data acquisition modules (VME, cPCI) for nuclear physics including the MADC-32 and MUX-32 used in coincidence experiments. Direct peer in the multi-channel digitizer space for detector arrays.
- Baltic Scientific Instruments: Latvian manufacturer of silicon and HPGe radiation detectors plus read-out electronics used in nuclear physics and material analysis. Overlaps with XIA's Pixie-16 and Pixie Link channel-count hardware for detector arrays.
- RITEC Inc. US-based maker of digital signal processing instrumentation for radiation detectors, including pulse shaping amplifiers and pile-up rejectors. Small, niche competitor in the same digital nuclear spectroscopy electronics category as XIA.
Broad incumbents
- Mirion Technologies: Large radiation detection and measurement company formed from the merger of Canberra and others, covering nuclear safeguards, dosimetry, and spectroscopy instrumentation. A broad incumbent where XIA competes in digital pulse processing rather than full instrumentation.
- Hamamatsu Photonics: Japanese manufacturer of photonics and radiation detection components including Si detectors, scintillators, and detector modules. Provides detector hardware commonly paired with XIA's read-out electronics, representing both a complement and partial downstream supplier relationship.
- Bruker Corporation: Major analytical instrument manufacturer offering X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and radiation detection systems (including S2 PICOFOX and M4 TORNADO). Overlaps with PIXL-style micro-XRF applications and spectroscopy customer segment.
Emerging players
- Kromek Group: UK-based radiation detection company producing CdZnTe detectors and digital electronics for medical imaging, security, and nuclear detection. Adjacent technology stack and overlapping customer base in radiation detection instrumentation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
XIA social profiles
Digital presenceXIA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
XIA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
XIA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
XIA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
XIA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about XIA
What does XIA do?
XIA designs and manufactures advanced digital pulse processors, data acquisition systems, and radiation detection instruments used in X-ray and gamma-ray spectroscopy, nuclear physics experiments, and semiconductor quality control. Their portfolio includes FPGA-based digitizers (Pixie-16, FalconX, microDXP, Pixie Link), alpha particle counters (UltraLo-1800), and differential pumps (DP-03), sold with proprietary software SDKs (Handel, Pixie SDK) to research laboratories, government agencies, and industrial customers worldwide.
Is XIA a public or private company?
XIA is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was XIA founded?
XIA was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is XIA based?
XIA is headquartered in Hayward, United States, in the North America region.
How does XIA make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Data Acquisition Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are software and SDK Licensing and technical Support Services.
Who are XIA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Struck Innovative Systeme (SIS), AMPTEK Inc., CAEN S.p.A., Mesytec GmbH, Baltic Scientific Instruments and RITEC Inc.. Broad incumbents are Mirion Technologies, Hamamatsu Photonics and Bruker Corporation. Kromek Group is listed as an emerging player.
Does XIA have an API?
Yes. XIA provides multiple APIs and SDKs for hardware control and data acquisition: (1) Handel API - a high-level ANSI C interface for multiple XIA products including microDXP, Saturn, Mercury, xMap, and MPX-32D. It requires minimal knowledge about the hardware and is available for Windows and Linux. (2) Pixie SDK - a comprehensive, thread-safe, cross-platform C++ SDK for Pixie-16 hardware integration, configuration, and management. Exposes a C API. (3) XDAQS (Pixie Link SDK) - a C/C++ library for programmatic control of Pixie Link digitizers. Handel is written in ANSI C with no dependencies other than the C standard library and hardware device drivers. Developer documentation is at xia.com/docs/handel/latest.